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His April 22 trip is just weeks ahead of Ukraine’s first presidential election since deposed president Viktor Yanukovych was forced from the country. The White House says Biden’s meetings with officials and civil society groups will cover constitutional reform, anti-corruption efforts and fair elections on May 25.

“The vice president will underscore the United States’ strong support for a united, democratic Ukraine that makes its own choices about its future path,” the White House statement said.

The announcement comes as Russia is accused of stoking unrest in eastern Ukraine and moving troops toward the border following its February annexation of Crimea. The White House announcement says pro-Russian separatists, apparently backed by Moscow, “continue an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage to destabilize the Ukrainian state.”